Hunt for Purpose
by FluffyDireBunny
Summary: Upon century of exile, Yoruichi decides to return to Soul Society after the word of their pardon reaches her ears. How will things have changed? Can she settle back to the life she had before? How will her noble family react? The sudden re-appearance of her former mentor has Sui Feng spinning, finding it difficult to handle her own affairs thanks to her meddlesome Senpai. YoruSoi.
1. Chapter 1

**Incredibly long Authors Notes: Hey all! I'm glad you decided to stop and take the time to read my fic. I have to say that I'm a rookie when it comes to writing fan fiction, I also haven't read that many stories so I'm kinda in a learning progress while I write this. Hopefully you'll find the story interesting enough and be kind enough to leave me feedback and constructive criticism on your way out by clicking the "Review" button. Oh, and I am also in no hurry with this story, I like to write small bits at a time so every time I start writing again, I'll proof read it through and see if there's anything to fix and such. So baseline, it'll take as long as it takes for me to release a new chapter so no flames such as "You b***h, update already, it's been like a f*****g month! You suck btw!" BUT encouraging words for hurrying up are welcome.**

**On another note (yes, I do like to ramble on and on), I'm not really certain why I decided to write about Bleach, and specifically about these two characters. I have to say I found them a curious couple and the relationship to be somewhat one-sided. After seeing some fan art **

**(the modest ones, not the um... vulgar things, honest! ..I'd never, I mean I'm not that kind of a person! Oh who am I kidding..) my curiosity got the better of me and I had to get something written down. Aaand I'll shut up now.. **

* * *

Hunt for Purpose

a Bleach FanFiction

by:

FluffyDireBunny

Shihõin Yoruichi, a woman of many talents, beauty and confidence, found herself in an unfamiliar scenario. She was bored. Normally she'd have been thrilled with the idea of having nothing to do but today, for some reason, she hated the fact that she was just lazily laying about, doing absolutely nothing. The weather outside was spectacular, sun was shining brightly, no clouds could be seen and there was just enough of a breeze to cool peoples skin a little, not allowing the air to stay stagnant. She laid on her back, her knees held up, her long, slender legs crossed. She kept her arms behind her head and neck to give them support and she swirled her shiny, purple locks around her fingers in boredom. The tan woman sighed in an unnatural sign of her current state, rising to a sitting position. She sat cross legged on her futon and gazed out the window, the scenery wasn't all that impressive.

Yoruichi stood up and exited her room. She glanced around the small house, her kind of second home, and noticed that no one was around. It was now a little over a week ago that they had defeated Aizen Sõsuke and his attempt at taking over Soul Society. Things were slowly but surely returning to normal but she knew that it would take time to rebuild and recuperate all the damage and injuries the stupid war had costed. Fortunately the battle ground had been a creation of Kurotsuchi Mayuri, the Captain of the 12th squad, and the casualties had been kept to a minimal, thought the amount of injured was high. Many from the Gotei 13 had suffered severe wounds but Yoruichi knew that they'd be in good hands. She herself had taken some damage when fighting Aizen but nothing major. She required some medical attention but most of her injuries were something only time and rest could heal.

It took some getting used to, not having a constant threat of doom hanging in the air above you. To know that you didn't have to worry about tomorrow. She wasn't so naïve as to think that Aizen would be the last person to threaten peace but knew that at least for now, things were relatively steady. This is what it felt like to have no goal in your life, to have no threat to consider, not having the need to come up with constant plans and such. It was boring.

Sighing again, Yoruichi couldn't help but to wonder what she should do now. Not merely right at this instance, but with her life in general. She knew she couldn't keep wasting her days in Urahara's shop or in the living world, but dreaded the idea of returning back to Soul Society as well. She had been stripped of her rank as Captain as well as the Commander of the special forces, she did still have a place in her house, one of the four noble houses in Seireitei, but she'd never been too keen on being a noble. She missed her family dearly, especially her mother, but it had been years since she last saw them. Yoruichi wasn't sure if her family was aware of the circumstances that led to her exile so she believed that some explaining would be needed if she was to go and see them. This, she was not looking forward to but knew it had to be dealt with eventually.

Her family was quite strict and conservative, clinging onto old-fashioned ideals of honour and justice. She on the other hand had always, even before her exile, been open minded and welcoming to new ideals. Her century of exile in the living world had only served to broaden her views, thus making her own house seem like a bunch of hypocrites and senile fools.

She didn't have anyone she could really call a friend in Soul Society either, Kuukaku was probably the only one and she lived Rukongai, her accommodations changing place in a whim. It could be fun to live with her for a while, though she loathed the idea of hanging around in her corners, even while she knew she'd be welcome. Sui-Feng was closer to a subordinate than a friend, though she was closer to her than she'd ever been to another one of the soldiers serving under her. And she did enjoy the younger Shinigami's company, it was flattering and humbling to have such a dedicated admirer. The current Captain of the 2nd division had been acting slightly different for a while now, she had lost some of the sparkle in her eyes as she spoke to Yoruichi, but the tan woman did manage to still make her blush occasionally. Yoruichi smiled, it was quite a strange feeling to have a "fan" so to speak.

Deciding that she really ought to do something, she made her way towards Kisuke's hidden lab, carefully and silently descending the steep stairs leading underground. The corridor was dimly lit and there was an odd scent lingering in the air. Yoruichi couldn't help but to make a disgusted face, the man could be such a pig sometime. "Kisuke, you in here?" she asked as she arrived to the bottom. The sound of glass breaking against concrete echoed to her ears, followed by slight cursing and more glass shatter.

"Dammit Yoruichi, I was in the middle of an experiment." the hatted man said to his long time friend who appeared from the door way. "Now I have to start all over."

"It's not like you're in a hurry, are you?" the Goddess of Flash grinned and stepped next to Kisuke. He was crouching, picking up the shards of glass from the floor.

"Hmm." he mused, throwing the broken glass in a bin. "No." he finally answered, his tone only slightly masking annoyance. "But these materials are quite difficult to acquire."

"What are you making?"

Urahara sat down in front of his computer and started typing. Moment later some text and small pictures appeared on the monitor, seemingly to have something to do with his research.

"I can't imagine you having difficulty getting the stuff you need."

"Well most of this is commonly found in Soul Society, but some of the things are quite rare, meaning I usually have to bribe someone in the 12th or 2nd squad to bring the stuff to me." he smiled a goofy grin. "I don't want to go there in person if I don't have to." he said a bit more seriously. "Most of the time I attract some unwanted attention, even while wearing the cloak to hide my presence. Kurotsuchi and Sui-Feng are not the most pleasant people to associate with."

Yoruichi grinned. "Sui-Feng been giving you trouble?"

"Well, she did catch one of the men taking my bribes, I hear she wasn't all too gentle with him to find out whom he was working for." Urahara stated, typing constantly on the computer. "After finding out.. Let's just say he was lucky to get out of the interrogation with his life."

Sighing, Yoruichi couldn't help but to agree. Sui-Feng always did have an unnatural suspicion and hatred for Urahara, so catching one of her men working for him must have cost the said soldier quite a lot. She peeked over Kisuke's shoulder to get a look at the monitor, trying to determine what he was up to. Noticing that all of it looked like gibberish to her, she shrugged and leaned down on the table next to the computer, partially resting her rear on it.

"Something else I can help you with?" the man asked, momentarily taking his eyes off the monitor.

"Nah." Yoruichi shrugged and closed her eye. "I'm just bored out of my skull." she sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Well, there's one thing I could use a helping hand on?"

"Oh?" this piqued her interest.

"As I said, some of the things I require for the research are quite rare.. and I do hate to go to Soul Society my self." he hinted, letting her draw her own conclusion.

Yoruichi grinned. "You want me to steal for you?"

"Steal?" Urahara gasped, placing a hand on his chest as if to comfort a wounded heart. "That's such a harsh word, I prefer.. Relieve a person from his earthly possession."

"Same thing." the tan woman laughed. "How much trouble could this be?"

"If you're not caught, none. If you are, some."

"Please." Yoruichi huffed and stood up confidently. "Remember who you're talking to!"

"But of course." Kisuke smiled, lifting his hat slightly.

* * *

Crossing to the Soul Society didn't take much time, Urahara luckily having the means to produce the required portal for such travel. Yoruichi was just outside the giant doors leading in to the City of Seireitei, musing whether to choose the direct route or to sneak her way in. She knew she wouldn't have any trouble getting in undetected but was kind of curious to see how well received she would be should she decide to use the easier method.

She smiled wickedly, deciding to cause trouble in her usual way, so she quickly flash stepped to the roof of a nearby building, getting a sense on where she should approach the city to remain unseen. There was one taller building on this side of the wall which was relatively close to her but she knew that the area nearby was closely monitored due to it's weakness of being a place of easy infiltration. The Goddess of Flash knew that if there were simply some unranked officers guarding it, she'd have no trouble remaining hidden, but if a Vice-Captain happened to be in the area, she might just get noticed, raising some alert in the City. She weighted her options, but decided to trust in her luck and made her way quickly to the tall tower. She climbed onto the roof and caught the breath taking view before her. Seireitei had always been a beautiful city with it's paved streets and white concrete walls, the huge hill in it's centre being one of it's astonishing landmarks. Not reading any powerful auras in her immediate proximity, she dared to take the large leap required to cross to the other side of the towering walls, landing elegantly on top of a building in the city.

There wasn't much going on in this part of Seireitei, it was the living area for the so called upper working class and some of the lower noble houses. She recognized some of the house markings, having associated with some in her youth. She recalled one or two of them for trying to weasel themselves in to her family's good graces, no doubt wanting to present her with a marriage proposal. She sighed, such was the way for the noble houses. They always seemed to meddle in each others business, trying to climb higher in social standings and wealth. It was stupid in Yoruichi's opinion, she hadn't cared for it back then and didn't care for it now.

She wasn't quite sure what it was that Kisuke had sent her to fetch for him. She didn't really need to know, all she needed to know was where to find it. Her friend had said the object to be somewhere in the 12th squads HQ, no doubt in the central research station. Getting in the area wouldn't be much of a difficulty but getting into the building could be an entirely different matter. Knowing the Captain of the squad, he most certainly had placed measures up to keep out unwanted personnel and to preserve his privacy for his most sensitive research. Kurotsuchi Mayuri might have been eccentric but he wasn't stupid nor to be taken lightly, so Yoruichi knew she had to tread carefully.

She was quickly in the area and didn't spot all too many guard on patrol. There were few circling the enclosed barracks of the 12th squad, as well as gate guards and a small, well hidden watch tower. The lack of guards wasn't all that surprising, Yoruichi knew Kurotsuchi relied more on his gadgets than his subordinates, so she remembered to stay wary of alarms and traps. She flashed closer to the central building and looked for a way to get inside. She remembered Kisuke informing her of back entrance which was usually not guarded, so she made her way around the building and surely enough, a small door stood in the corner. Once more looking around and noticing the way to be clear, she carefully made her way towards the door. She was just about to place her gloved hand on the doorknob as it suddenly moved.

Yoruichi flashed away in an instance, sighing heavily from her hideout in one of the trees on the yard. She thought she might have accidentally triggered some alarm, but it seemed like one of the workers of the lab came for a quick smoke. She waited for the man to finish smoking the content on his pipe and watched him enter back inside. After a moment, she deemed it safe to follow and once again came to the door. She was surprised to find it unlocked so she entered and silently made her way through the dimly lit corridors. It was night time, so luckily most of the staff was away at this point, though she still kept herself aware for guards.

Reaching the most secure area of the building, the central lab, she carefully slid the door open. No one was on sight, so she flashed inside and began her search. Kisuke could only give her a vague description of what she was looking for, but he said she'd know when she saw it. After rummaging through a few cabinets, she finally found the object, a small, yellow box, looking like nothing out of the ordinary. She wondered what it might be and settled on it being a container of some sort, Kisuke's interest probably laying within the cube.

"Nemu." a voice suddenly said from behind her and not a moment later, a hand lunged towards her, spinning unnaturally like the tip of a drill. She quickly dodged to the side, the Vice-Captain slightly tumbling into the cabinet.

"Tch, must I do everything myself." Mayuri's characteristic sound echoed behind her. "Can't be helped." he stated but stood his ground.

Yoruichi turned around half way, not sure if he had recognized her. She did have the cloak to suppress her spiritual energy and she was wearing a mask to cover the lower half of her face but those weren't the only ways to confirm her identity. If Kurotsuchi realized it was her invading his lab, he'd probably figure at whose behest she was here. The Captain was not in the best of terms with Kisuke, so things could take a turn to the unpleasant quickly.

She quickly evaded as the woman behind her lunged at her again, this time almost crashing against Mayuri. She grabbed her chance with the distraction and quickly flashed away, making haste for the door. Being the embodiment of Lady Luck there was no one between her and the exit so she managed to escape the Central Lab quickly. Getting out of the barrack wasn't difficult either but by now, a small alarm had been raised through Seireitei, guard starting to amass in her direction.

"There he is, the invader!" a soldier yelled below her, having spotted her crouching on one of the roofs nearby.

"Catch him!" another yelled. "Don't let him escape!"

Yoruichi grinned behind her mask, feeling the excitement of the situation. She was a bit of an adrenaline junkie, always having loved these kinds of situations. The intense suspense of carefully treading forward, silently trying to stay hidden, it excited her to no end. She also relished in the hunt, not caring whether she was on the receiving end or acting as the huntress. She ran on the roof tops, taking large leaps with flash step, evading her captors with ease. Only a small group seemed able to keep up with her so she decided to speed herself up a notch.

She came to the city wall and was just about to jump over when she felt something approaching her quickly. She evaded by making a backward somersault and landed with on knee on the ground, the other in front of her where she slightly rested her chest on. She noticed that a pair of throwing stars had landed on where she stood just a second ago and felt the next wave of the sharp object flying towards her. She jumped back again but wasn't able to finish her landing properly as she felt the unmistakeable swish of air that followed a swing of a sword. Yoruichi did a simple forward roll, trying her best to stay close to the ground to evade a second slash should it be coming. She heard a small cling echo behind her, the distinctive sound of a blade hitting something large and solid, a cut that could have sliced her head in half vertically.

She was kind of impressed by the fact that somebody was able to catch her, let alone for the fact that she actually had to dodge her attacker strikes. She didn't have time to admire the situation though, realizing that backup was most likely on it's way. She flashed back to the roof.

"You're not getting away!" a muffled voice shouted behind her, her pursuer seeming to be part of the Onmitsukidõ*). Yoruichi hadn't noticed before but realized it now as she saw the black, figure hugging uniform that covered the agents from head to toe.

She took the last required leap to get out of Seireitei but noticed her movement to be halted somewhat. A hand had grabbed the garment that she had wrapped around her face so she quickly manifested her shunko to her hand, throwing a small punch towards the attacker. The agent landed with a loud crash behind her, a large cloud of dust lifting to the air where her pursuer landed.

* * *

"The invader we were pursuing managed to escape."

"I see." the Ruling Commander of the Special Forces stated. "Is anyone still making contact with the enemy?"

"Group three was last seen on the hunt. No other groups were in the vicinity." the member of Onmitsukidõ stated a bit hesitantly, fearing the results of their failure. Their Commander was not know for her kind and forgiving attitude, in fact, she was known for the quite opposite.

Sui Feng nodded quietly. "Very well, keep up with the chase. I want full reports in 30 minutes." she ordered and the men before her disappeared quickly and silently, continuing their search. The small woman scowled in a manner common to her, not liking this disturbance of peace so quickly after Aizen's defeat. She made her way towards her office, her working space being directly connected to her quarters so it was kind of a second home for her. The hours she spent in the room could also be the reason why someone would see it as a home for her, the amount of work she had daily was staggering.

She slid the shoji**) open and closed it behind her after entering. Her office was neat and plain, there was a large rectangular, oaken desk in the middle with a small, comfy pillow behind it which the Commander used as her seat. She had noticed some of her colleagues preferred the style commonly seen in the Real World, where the desks were large and tall, and people sat on chairs instead of the floor. Sui Feng was more than comfortable with her setting, sitting on a small pillow offered better support for sitting straight and afforded less chance to slouch as she had notices some of the other Captains doing. The only natural light came from the single window she had at the end of the room, a small bonsai seated on it's sill was pretty much the lonely decorator of the room. There was a small bookshelf to her right, the marks of the Second Squad and the Onmitsukidõ hanging on the wall above it as well as a small incense holder on the top most shelve.

She felt a little tired as she hadn't slept for more than about two hours before being woken up by the sounding alarm. She had once again worked late with her paperwork, from which she was sorely lagging behind on, due in no small part thanks to the battles she had fought little more than a week prior. And now she knew she'd be even more taxed with work, as the investigation of this mess would surely be dumbed on her shoulders like always. She sighed heavily and glanced at the time, she had about fifteen minutes before her groups would start to appear with their reports so she decided to do some paperwork. It was not like she could catch any shut eye in this short time, might as well make herself useful while waiting.

After the small wait, Sui Feng had made it to the courtyard of her squads barracks and was now waiting for the last of the group leaders to arrive before her. A few minutes later the last one appeared and made his way to the row formed before their Commander. "Report." she commanded simply, her tone of voice carrying surprising authority for such a small woman.

"Group one reporting: We were unable to apprehend the invader." the leader of the stated group stepped forward, bowing his head in both respect and in apology. After this, he took a step back, lining himself with the other officers.

A second man, slightly taller than the first took a fearful step towards Sui Feng and bowed his head similarly to the one before him. "Group two reporting in: The invader we were pursuing escaped." he said, unable to mask the nervousness in his voice.

Sui Feng sighed heavily and closed her eyes. She was about to scold them for their incompetency but decided to wait until all the groups had reported.

"Group three reporting." a feminine voice said more confidently than the other two before her. She was a tall woman, her mask hiding away her face but revealing a pair of piercing purple eyes. She was the only female group leader serving under Sui Feng at the time, having gained her position a few years ago. "The invader slipped past us but." she said, producing something from her pocket.

"During our struggle, I managed to secure a small evidence for our investigation."

Sui Feng nodded and listened to the other reports. None had captures the invader but she was glad they had at least something to go on with. "Let's see this evidence." she said and accepted the item presented to her. Her eyes widened in shock, having recognized the piece of fabric instantly which now dangled in her hand. After the initial shock, she dismissed her group leaders and ordered them with some rest. "Third group leader, wait a moment." she ordered calmly.

The woman stopped her exit and turned back towards her leader. "Yes, Ruling Commander?"

"You don't have to be so formal now, we are in private Nanami-san." Sui Feng said warmly in an unusual way for the normally strict Captain.

"My apologies." the woman smiled but after noticing a small flinch in her commanding officers rigid posture, she quickly corrected herself. "Sui Feng-sama."

"Did you manage to get a good look at the intruder?" the small Captain asked, having a good idea as to the identity but wanting to make sure. After the woman before her nodded, she asked. "Characteristics?"

"It was dark so I don't know whether it was a good look but.. the invader was wearing a black full body garment and on top of it had an orange jacket, resembling something from the living world. The face was masked with that." the group leader said, pointing at the piece of fabric in Sui Feng's hand. "But a piece of it tore off during our fight. I also believe that the attacker was a woman."

Sui Feng clenched her fist around the piece of torn garment. She now knew exactly who it was, that had "invaded" Seireitei and couldn't help but to let a devilish grin spread on her face.

* * *

***) ****The Onmitsukidō, **_**secret tactics, called the Stealth Force in the English dub**_**), also called the Secret Mobile Unit/Corps, Special Forces or Covert Ops which Sui Feng commands.**

****)Shoji is a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper over a frame of wood which holds together a lattice of wood or bamboo. **

**And there you have that, first chapter to the story. Hopefully you enjoyed your reading experience and I really hope you'll leave me with some feedback, criticism or simply some love! Heh! So, press the ze Review on your way out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, thank you all for the reviews! I got more thank I had hoped so I decided to post the next chapter quickly. I got an urge to write fast after noticing all those reviews in my inbox! Thank you so much, they're all greatly appreciated! All faves and follows also got me feeling giddy! I know at least some of you liked what you read.**

* * *

Hunt for Purpose

a Bleach FanFiction

by:

FluffyDireBunny

"Gah, that tired me out a bit." Yoruichi said whilst stretching her arm above her head as far as they reached, her frame bending slightly backwards. She sat cross legged around the small dining table in Urahara's shop and had just finished her dinner, having devoured at least twenty platefuls of rice and various Japanese dishes. "That hit the spot!" she said as she wiped the last crumbs of rice from the side of her mouth and patted her stomach lightly.

"I'm still amazed every time I see it, your appetite that is." Kisuke smiled slightly. "Even after all these years, I've never seen anyone who could match up to the veracious eater that is Shihouin Yoruichi." he laughed at the look his friend gave her.

"What?" she asked in a slightly defensive tone. "I really like food!"

Urahara nodded. "I am aware" After a small pause, he continued. "So?"

Sipping on the tea she had been served a moment ago, she lifted an eyebrow. "So?"

The candy shop owner rubbed the stubble on his chin, his gaze darkening behind the shadow cast by his ridiculous hat. "I was hoping you brought something for me?"

"Ah." the tan woman nodded and dug out the yellow object from her pocket. "You mean this?"

Urahara snatched it from Yoruichi's hand and inspected the tiny box.

"What is it anyway?"

"This is a container." the man responded. "It houses a unique spiritual energy, which I need in order to complete one of my studies."

Yoruichi sipped calmly on her tea. She looked at her excited friend, slightly worrying what he was up to now. She shrugged mentally, knowing she'd never get a straight answer even should she ask. Urahara didn't like discussing his research, especially projects that were unfinished.

"You run into any trouble?" he asked guardedly.

Yoruichi shrugged and took another sip of her tea. "Nothing major."

"Good, good." Kisuke nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll need to take this downstairs." he said as he stood up and headed for his lab.

The Goddess of Flash finished her drink and took the empty cup to the kitchen. She placed it in the sink with the other dirty dishes and headed for her room. Laying down on her futon, Yoruichi couldn't help but to wonder about her future again. They had received full pardons from Soul Society with Kisuke and Tessai, along with Shinji and his group, so returning there was a very viable option. She wasn't really sure what she would be doing there but at least she'd finally be able to return home. She sighed, all this thinking was making her rather tired. She decided that getting some well earned sleep would be a good idea, as well as a way to clear her head a little. Maybe things would look easier tomorrow.

* * *

"Silence!" an authoritative voice commanded forcefully, a loud tap of wood against wood echoing in the grand hall as he struck his cane against the floor. Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai finally got fed up with the bickering of some of his Captains, who were now standing in front of him in their usual rows. "Leave personal arguments outside of these doors, you have time to settle them personally and more privately elsewhere." he said, letting his gaze linger on Kurotsuchi and Kenpachi. The Captains of squads eleven and twelve never seemed to get along, even the previous Captains had trouble being near each other. He wasn't quite sure what their little debate was about but he didn't much care to find out. "As I understand, there was a break in at the Central Lab, Kurotsuchi Mayuri?"

"Yes." the masked man nodded, crossing his arms across his chest. "Nothing major, but the invader managed to steal something quite rare." his tone of voice was unable to mask his growing annoyance. "And the thief managed to escape since the guard were unable to perform their duties correctly." he mocked, pointing his one, largely over length finger nail at Sui Feng.

"The intruder managed to escape, yes." the Captain of the second squad nodded calmly. She had come to expect such accusation from Kurotsuchi. "However, we have recovered some evidence as to the identity.." she continued but hesitated to reveal her information. She wasn't sure how this could effect Yoruichi-sama, would her pardon be withdrawn? Would she be painted a criminal once more? "With a proper investigation I'm sure the guard will manage to get to the bottom of this." she finally said, deciding to withhold the information of Yoruichi's involvement.

"Tch!" Mayuri gritted his teeth and before he was able to continue on with his accusations, the Captain-Commander tapped his walking cane against the floor audibly.

"Enough, the investigation is of low priority." he said calmly. "If nothing important was lost then we have bigger issues to deal with that require the guards attention."

"Yes, sir!" Sui Feng bowed her head.

"Is there anything to suggest that this wasn't an isolated case?" the old, bearded man asked, looking at the petite Captain, adorned in her unique, sleeveless Haori*).

"No. But since I'm denied access to the relevant data by the Research and Developement Institute, I cannot be certain." Sui Feng stated. "I have not been informed as to what it was that actually got stolen, hence I cannot know for certain whether there will be a continuation to the first incident."

"Is this true?" Ukitake asked, turning his attention from Sui Feng and looked at Kurotsuchi in mild shock. "How can you expect the guard to investigate this if you withhold information from them?"

"Some of the information is strictly classified." the researcher said angrily while clenching his teeth.

Hitsugaya Toshiro sighed. "Are you for real?" he asked calmly, his eyes closed. "Why bother us with this if you're not willing to be serious about it yourself?"

"I am very serious when it comes to my research!" Mayuri declared, his tone of voice rising slightly. "I will not sit idly when-"

"Enough!" the Captain-Commander yelled once again, his patience running thin. "There will be no investigation. If the Captain of the twelfth squad sees no reason to inform the guard of relevant data, I see no reason to involve the guard at all. Adjourned." he declared finally, feeling fed up by the constant arguments he had to endure in the room. He turned around and headed for his office, leaving no chance for protest as he vanished from sight.

"Hmph, how pointless!" Kenpachi grumbled under his breath as he exited. The other Captains couldn't help but to agree with him, even if they chose to keep it to themselves.

It wasn't all that unusual to gather the Captains together for a meeting but for something like this, it had been pointless. Kurotsuchi had made such a big deal of the break-in, so the Captain-Commander had seen if fit to notify everyone. Of course now that the facts had been laid bare, he sure regretted his choice. All of them had much better things to do than to listen to the lunatics ravings.

Sui Feng was inwardly glad that the investigation had been deemed unnecessary but her outward appearance didn't betray any emotion. She was stoic like always as she calmly made her way back to the barracks of her squad. A small gust of wind brushed past her which swayed the hem of her coat and the ends of her two braids, the golden circles in their tips clinging together slightly. Feeling rather good about the situation, she decided to indulge herself a little as she made her way towards the open area that served as the training grounds for the second squad. A group of her subordinates were in the middle of some hand-to-hand training exercises, the sounds of flesh impacting on flesh carrying to her ears as she got closer. For a while she merely observed the ongoing battles, taking mental notes on what she should improve on their training.

There was a good and balanced mixture of new and seasoned warriors, the younger ones fought in a group of three, trying to land punches on a single, more experienced opponent. The bouts were simple in structure, ending when one of the group members managed to score a hit on the head of their opponent. This however was not as easy as it first seemed, since many of the older members had served for years, meaning they had a great understanding of martial skills.

Groups three and four were in this joined exercise it seemed, as Sui Feng spotted the team leaders. Nanami Midori and Kogawa Kenta were the said leaders of the groups, in that order. Kogawa was a good officer, skilled and calm, he had reached a respectably lengthy career for a member of the Onmitsukidõ, whose life expectancy was usually and sadly, quite low. Nanami Midori on the other hand was brash, restless and energetic but highly intelligent. She was very committed and followed rules to the letter, though she did have a small rebellious side which surfaced from time to time.

The small Captain observed the fights a moment longer before she finally stepped forward, coming to stand at the centre of the yard. The battles around her ceased and all the soldiers came to form a ring around her, keeping a healthy distance as they knew what her appearance usually meant. "Kogawa, Nanami."

"Yes sir!" the two acknowledged and came to stand at the Captain's side.

"Pick two of the most skilled combatants from your teams."

"Just two?" Kagawa dared to ask, usually the fights were pitted with three on one.

"Yes." Sui Feng stated, her eyes starting to glimmer in anticipation for the fight. A chilling grin spread across her face as she looked towards the group leaders. "You'll be joining them, so pick well."

As the two gathered their teams, the younger generation of soldiers fell back, waiting for the fight to begin. "Well this will be sort." one said, letting out a small laugh.

"What do you mean?" another asked. "She's that good?" he continued, pointing discreetly at their Captain.

"Of course she is, she'll make short work on them."

"But six against one..?" a young warrior asked sceptically. "I mean.. with two group leaders as well."

"Plus, she's missing an arm."

"Like that'll stop her, just watch." the fist one nodded, feeling pride swell in his chest as he watched the small Captain. He was glad to serve under her.

"Shh, we'll get in trouble if we're caught yapping. The fight's about to begin."

Sui Feng stood in the middle of the yard, her six opponents forming a circle around her. They walked carefully around, watching for any signs of openings in her defence. The petite Captain disregarded her Haori, revealing her other uniform, the garment worn by the Commander in Chief of the Special Forces. She waited patiently, wanting her subordinates to make the first move. This didn't take long, as one of the men lunged at her clumsily, going for a fisted strike on her head. She dodged it easily, ducking down and circling a three-hundred and sixty degree turn, sweeping the man off his feet. Another decided to take his chances with the distraction, coming from behind her. He managed to get a vice grip on her torso, holding his arms tightly around her. Kogawa decided to take this opening and bolted towards the Captain, bringing his fist towards her face with incredible speed. She moved her head away just barely before the strike came, making the knuckles crack against her holder. When he stumbled back slightly, Sui Feng bent her knee with force, her calf kicking the man behind her on his groin. He backed away, doubling down whilst holding his hands on the sensitive organ between his legs. It was Kogawa's turn, as the petite woman managed a lightning swift aerial kick to the side of his head, sending him flying a small distance away, effectively knocking him out.

One by one the soldiers fell on the ground, those left conscious were trying their best to alleviate the pain and the ones who were knocked out were mended by other group members. Sui Feng grinned lightly, feeling good after breaking a small sweat. She had only taken one small hit on her side but was ultimately happy with her performance. It took some getting used to, fighting with only one hand, but luckily her state was temporary. Captain Unohana, leader of medical studies and performances in all of Soul Society had teamed up with an unexpected partner, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, to manufacture a prostate arm for her, meaning she'd be in full combat ability soon. She was sceptical as to how efficient the limb would be but Unohana assured her that it would be as good as the old one, if not better. Sui Feng hadn't understood all the small details of the older Captain's explanation but had picked up on it being made from her own blood, meaning it had normal blood circulation and spiritual energy flow.

The soldiers who had been observing the battle came to thank her for the display, most saying that they found it educational. She was sceptical to that fact, not intending it to be real lesson of any sorts. She merely came to work off some stress but was glad if it had helped her soldiers on some degree as well. She picked up her Haori from the ground and tossed it over her shoulder casually, carrying it there while making sure it didn't fall off with one hand.

The courtyard started emptying, most of her subordinates making their way to dinner at the mess hall of their barracks. She considered joining them as she herself felt a bit hungry but decided against it, she had associated with her teams more than enough for today, always maintaining to her belief that personal struggle grows character. She had occasionally heard whispers that some of her men envied the members of other squads, such as the thirteenth, for having such a kind and considerate Captain. Out of respect for her older colleague, she had not said anything on this matter, though she felt he was a bit too lenient in his dealing with his subordinates. Same went to Kyoraku, but for the same reason as Ukitake, she had not mentioned her opinion to him either.

The small Captain made her way to her office, passing by her eyesore of a Vice-Captain. The large man had had his mouth so full of cracker that he hadn't even managed a proper greeting, befitting her status as his superior. She let it slide just this once, still feeling the rush of euphoria which followed her every battle. Sometimes, she had mentally noticed, the feeling she had after a battle was very similar to that of an afterglow she felt when finished with a sexual encounter. The physical struggle, pain and then pleasure as endorphins were released into the blood veins, the climax, an orgasm or the feeling she had when she looked at her defeated opponents. All in all, the feelings were very similar, though battles didn't quite take out the same edge as sex did. Perhaps because she was more used to battling, the thrill had started to settle a bit.

Shrugging such thoughts out of her mind, she decided to have her dinner in the first squads dining hall, where most of the Captains ate if not with their squads or in their homes. The walk there was short, since the second squads barrack were right next to the firsts. The grand building was mostly empty, some lower ranked soldiers were cleaning the hallways, offering her greetings as she passed them by. She paid them no heed and finally arrived at the large hall. She grabbed a wooden tray and picked her food from few of the choices offered, some steamed fish with a side of salad. Spotting Unohana in one of the tables, she made her way to a seat opposite of her. "Good evening."

"Good evening." the kind woman smiled.

The woman next to Unohana sat up a bit more straight after her arrival. "Good evening, Captain Sui Feng." Isane Kotetsu, Unohana's Vice-Captain greeted.

"Has there been any progress?" Sui Feng asked as she calmly nibbled on her food.

The older Captain raised her eyes from her plate and looked at Sui Feng questionably.

"With my arm." she continued, noticing Unohana had not picked up on what she had meant.

"Ah yes." she smiled. "We will have it ready for testing in a few days." the Captain stated. "It's taken more time than I imagined though, Kurotsuchi said something about the arms spirit energy needing time to adjust to the same level as yours."

"I see." the petite Captain nodded. "No matter, though it'll be nice to have two hands again."

Isane and Unohana nodded. "I can imagine, even the most basic things must be challenging now." the Vice-Captain said quietly, luckily for her, she managing to hide the pity in her voice.

"I manage." Sui Feng informed, not appreciating how weak she was made seen.

"Isane." the kinder woman said calmly and looked at her subordinate, reminding her to watch her tongue. Unohana might be the kindest Captain in the Gotei 13, but Isane needed to know her place, she was in the presence of two Captains after all.

"Sorry." the tall woman quickly apologized and returned her attention to her food.

Rest of her dinner, Sui Feng ate in relative silence, only answering questions which were directed at her. After thanking her fellow Captain for the information and her company, the small woman stood up and made her exit. She headed for her office, knowing she still had some time to catch up on paperwork before retiring to bed.

She went past the gates leading to the compound housing her squad, greeting the guards stationed there. They eagerly greeted her back, reporting no incidents had occurred during her absence. The small Captain reached her office after that and she made her way to hear seat. A large stack of papers laid on each end of the desk, the larger pile was her unfinished work and the other was already processed through. She picked up few of the papers from the top of the stack, glancing her eyes quickly over the text. Most were nothing but regular reports from her subordinates, some were mission updates but fortunately none of them described anything critical. She signed the papers, marking them as read and placed them on the finished pile.

After processing through a small stack of papers, the petite woman let go of her pen and stretched her arms. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as the muscles in her arms and shoulders relaxed, the repetitive work taking their toll on her frame. The events of yesterday came to her mind and her posture relaxed instantly. She was glad that the incident had been deemed unimportant and that there would not be an investigation needed. It was for the best, she wasn't sure how she could deal with it, if she had to go and gather evidence against Yoruichi, much less provide the said evidence to the Captain-Commander. She did wonder though, what it was that her former mentor was after in the Institute for Research and Development. She was, without a doubt, gathering something for that damned Urahara Kisuke, the fact making Sui Feng face turn into a scowl. She had never liked the man, he was lazy and a slob, but she had grown to respect him slightly. Urahara was not what he seemed at first glance, he was one, if not the most, intelligent person in Soul Society. Sui Feng's resentment towards him stemmed from the fact that Yoruichi-sama abandoned her over him, her exile was caused because of him.

Deciding not to dwell in the past, the small Captain stood up and stepped before her bookshelf. She lit an incense, it's sweet and spicy aroma filling the room not long after. Having a relaxing effect on Sui Feng, she decided that it was probably time for some rest. She organized her desk quickly but suddenly picked up her pen once more as well as a small piece of clean white paper. She started writing, her hand writing clean and crisp. After finishing with it, she walked to her window and opened it. Not long after, a messenger appeared before her and she passed the enveloped note to him. "For Shihouin Yoruichi." she said calmly, watched him take off and went to bed.

* * *

Urahara was in the kitchen of his small housing, cleaning the sink after he was finished with the dirty dishes. He hummed jovially, his body moving according to the imaginary melody in his head. "Ah, as good as new." he smiled, watching his handiwork. A sudden light knock caught him off guard and he almost jumped out of his skin in surprise. Wondering who it could be at this late an hour, he calmly made his way to the door and slid it open. He had not prepared to come face to face with a courier from Seireitei, so all he could do was stare at him in mild shock.

The messenger seemed unaffected by his gaze and simply handed him the letter he was meant to deliver. After Urahara accepted it, he was gone in a blink of an eye.

The candy shop owner inspected the letter, almost opening it before he noticed his friends name written cleanly on the envelope. He flipped it back and forth, trying to see if the name of the sender was attached somewhere. After seeing none, he brought the letter close to his face and sniffed it slightly. It smelled nice, a slight aroma of jasmine and spice lingering on the paper. He smiled widely and made his way to his friends room. Kisuke knocked on her door quietly. "Yoruichi-san? You still awake?"

"Hmm." a muffled grunt echoed behind the shoji.

Urahara chuckled. "I'm coming in, hope you're decent."

Yoruichi was laying down on her futon, a light blanket covering her. She sat up as Kisuke approached her and accepted the small, white envelope he handed her.

"You got a letter." he said wickedly. "No sender but it does smell nice." Kisuke grinned. "Maybe it's a love letter!"

"Please, as if." Yoruichi rolled her eyes but couldn't help but to feel a slight anticipation, she would've been happy to receive a love letter. "Let's see.." she mumbled as she opened it and closed her eyes as the scent wafted to her nose, it did smell very nice. "You going to stay there and watch?" she asked after noticing that Kisuke was not making his exit.

"What, I'm curious!" he stated, lifting his arms defensively.

The tan woman slightly shook her head, an amused smiled on her face. The small letter was quickly revealed and Yoruichi glanced over it.

_Dear Yoruichi-sama  
of the Great Noble House of Shihouin_

_A small incident has occurred in Seireitei and I may require your aid  
to solve it. I understand you are a busy individual and you have plans  
of your own, but should you find the time in your schedule to stop by,  
I would greatly appreciate you assistance._

_This is by no means an official summon, you are free to decline  
my invitation and no written answer is required to be sent.  
I will wait a period of three days before finishing my report on  
the said incident. Should you not decide to visit me during this time,  
I will take your absence as a sign that you are otherwise occupied._

_Yours Sincerely  
Captain of the Second Squad  
Commander in Chief of the Special Forces  
Sui Feng_

Yoruichi sighed in defeat, her former pupil's letter was so formal it almost made her gag. She knew Sui Feng was strictly professional but this was a letter she had written to her! Her! Sui Feng's former mentor, her sole purpose for existing a century ago, her idol, her Goddess. "Damn she's a stiff one." Yoruichi crossed her arms and handed the letter to Urahara who was dying to know what it said. After reading, the man couldn't help but to laugh, not knowing whether Sui Feng's adamant drive to stay formal was admirable or sad.

"Well, I guess I should go pay her a visit." Yoruichi shrugged.

"She did put up the effort to ask you." Kisuke agreed. "Let's just hope the incident isn't referring to your break-in?"

"All the more reason to go." Yoruichi grinned. "I have to see how good she's become and if I can still weasel my way out of a mess."

* * *

***) Haori is the white coat the Captains wear.**

**Here was the second chapter, hopefully you enjoyed it! It's weird we still haven't had any Yoruichi/Sui Feng interaction but rest assured, it's coming in the next chapter! Hopefully I'll manage to satisfy your standards with it, so that it seems natural and in-character. Anyway, I hope to hear what you thought and the way to do that, is to leave me a review! Bye for now, read ya soon! (Erm...? Huh?) **


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Here's chapter three, hope you like it. It's a bit shorter than the first two but yeah, it kinda seemed like the place to wrap this part up so. I'll try to make up for it in the coming chapters. **

* * *

Hunt for Purpose

a Bleach FanFiction

by:

FluffyDireBunny

Two days later, Sui Feng still hadn't heard a word from her former mentor so she was starting to get a little suspicious that she wasn't going to show up. It was not like she actually needed Yoruichi to come and help with an investigation, seeing that none was actually ordered, but it would have been nice to see her again after so long. She occasionally missed her, always having enjoyed the company of her former commanding officer. Most of the time their personalities conflicted, Yoruichi's carefree and easygoing outlook heavily contrasting with her own professional and serious nature. Somehow still, Sui Feng never felt more relaxed as she did with Yoruichi.

It was afternoon, the sun having reached its highest point in the sky. Today was a rather warm day, so the small woman had decided to leave her haori unworn for now, in stead having it lie on the edge of her desk in a neatly folded pile. She had also decided to leave out the small, white under-wrap she occasionally wore beneath her uniform so she was now only adorned on the Ruling Commander's backless suit. The rays of sun peering through the window behind her warmed her exposed back and shoulders, making them glow and take a slight red hue. Sui Feng was yet again working on some papers and hated the fact that she was stuck indoors during such a lovely weather. As she thought about leaving her paperwork and joining in some physical exercises outside, there was a faint knock on her door. "Come in." she answered calmly, not taking her eyes off the papers before her. The knocking persisted even after she voiced her permission again, so she stood up and took the few steps necessary to reach the shoji, feeling rather annoyed by now. As she slid the door open, she noticed the hallway to be empty. Sui Feng scowled, perhaps she had just imagined it. She went back to her seat and picked up a new paper. Another knock echoed. "It's open." she stated loudly, her growing irritation clearly evident in her tone of voice. As another knock sounded from the door, Sui Feng bolted up and almost ran to the door. She quickly opened it and found herself staring at an empty hallway again. "What the hell?!"

"My, my!" a familiar voice called behind her. "You're rather cute when you're flustered."

Sui Feng spun around towards the voice, her eyes landing on a black cat, now stretching itself on her desk. The small Captain rolled her eyes and let a small grin crawl up to her lips. "Enjoy your little game?" she asked as she came to sit on her seat once more.

"Yes." the cat answered honestly, always having liked to play pranks on others, especially to some with short a short temper. "I got your letter."

"I figured." Sui Feng said and waited her former mentor to sit up straight. "You came to help then?"

The cat nodded. "I figured I might as well, your letter was so official it would've been rude to decline." her tone was filled with mirth.

"I see." the smaller woman closed her eyes. "Well, as I said in the letter, there was a small incident a few nights ago in the Institute for Research and Development. Apparently a break-in and Kurotsuchi informed us other Captains that something was stolen."

"Alright." Yoruichi nodded, her tone amused and masculine as she was still retaining her cat form. "So, what do you need my help for?"

Sui Feng's eyes darkened dangerously and she brought her face a little closer to the small, black cat sitting on her desk. "Like you don't know."

Seeing this as a perfect opportunity to morph back into her human form, Yoruichi did just that, a small puff of smoke suddenly blinding the woman before her.

After instinctively closing her eyes to cover them from the smoke, Sui Feng opened her eyelids only to find her face almost buried in the chasm of Yoruichi's breasts. Her mouth went agape at the sight and she leaned backwards a little too abruptly, the shock preventing her from correctly moving her body. She applied a little too much force on her retreat and suddenly found herself staring at the ceiling, having fallen on her back from the velocity, the laughter of her former mentor filling her office. "Yoruichi-sama!" she yelled, not enjoying the tan woman's antics very much at the moment. "H-here, put this on!" she quickly offered her the haori which had laid on the table, averting her gaze from the very naked body of Yoruichi Shihouin.

"Aw, do I have to?" the woman pouted, though she knew her former pupil couldn't see it since she had taken a sudden interest on the window at the end of the room. "Clothes are so confining."

"Please?" Sui Feng begged almost timidly. It was not the first time something like this had occurred, she had witnessed the gorgeous tan body on numerous occasions but usually in a whole different set of circumstances. Normally right before a battle where Yoruichi had deemed it necessary to change back to her real form and once in a trip to an outdoor bath, but never like this. And never with such close proximity. It felt as though all the blood on her body had suddenly elevated to her face, the pressure threatening to release through her nostrils and she knew she was probably blushing furiously.

"Alright." Yoruichi sighed. "You can turn around now, I'm decent."

Sui Feng stood up from the floor and came to take her seat. Yoruichi sat on the pillow on the other side of the desk, trying her best to adjust to the uncomfortable seating. "As I was saying.." the small Captain coughed slightly, trying her best to prevent another blush from rising to her cheeks as she got a view of the sly grin on her senpai's lips. "I'm quite sure you know why I asked you here."

"In all honesty, I have no idea what you're talking about." the woman stated without skipping a beat, her tone sounding very convincing as she shrugged her hands.

"So could you explain how there was a thief as skilled in stealth as you are, who happened to fit the exact description of your appearance, rummaging through Seireitei three nights ago?"

"Coincidence?" Yoruichi tried, her tone not as confident as before.

"Alright." Sui Feng nodded, feeling like she was not going to get answers this way. "No matter, the Captain-Commander didn't see the event as important enough to root out an investigation anyway." she shrugged, liking the mildly shocked look on Yoruichi's face.

The tan woman blinked firmly a few times. "Then, why did you ask me here?" she asked, honestly feeling rather curious now.

"I just wanted to make sure it wasn't you. I wouldn't want to investigate your actions now, especially since you've just received your pardon." the gray eyed woman answered honestly. "However I do not believe Kurotsuchi will leave the matter be.."

"Oh?" Yoruichi lifted an eyebrow. "You think he'll turn up with anything?"

"I honestly can't say." Sui Feng shrugged. "He did put a small wrench to my preliminary investigation by denying me access to relevant data.. So perhaps I'm not that inclined to help him in his." the smaller woman smirked, her voice taking a wicked tone. "That means I might be persuaded to 'misplace' any and all evidence my team managed to gather before the investigation was nullified." she finished, placing the piece of fabric torn from Yoruichi's scarf on the table.

Yoruichi grinned, she liked this new playful side of Sui Feng. Their little banter was relaxing and fun, a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. "Heh, you had that this whole time? I'm not saying it's mine but.."

"You don't have to." the Captain shook her head and smiled, not believing how hard Yoruichi was trying not to admit defeat. "It's got more than enough of your spiritual energy residue to trace your family's lineage back five generations at least."

The Goddess of Flash sighed heavily in defeat, it seemed Sui Feng had indeed outmatched her. "Alright, you win." she admitted. "So, what is it you want in exchange for.. misplacing this?" the tan woman asked as she picked up the small piece of cloth from the table.

"Nothing." Sui Feng said calmly. "Let's just say you owe me one?"

"I don't like the sound of that.. but I really have no choice, do I?"

"No."

"Great." Yoruichi groaned. "You've really grown, you know." she stated suddenly.

The comment caught Sui Feng off guard, a blush seeing it's chance to rise to her cheeks. "Perhaps." she conceded. "I believe time changes us all.. and it has been more than a century since we've really had a chance to sit down and talk."

"True." the former Captain nodded in agreement. "This is nice though." she smiled warmly, recalling the times she used to spent with the woman before her. "We should do this again."

"Do what?" Sui Feng asked guardedly. "Dispose of evidence against your heinous crimes?" she grinned.

"No." Yoruichi laughed. "Just sit down and.. talk." she said a bit more quietly, an unnatural nervousness gripping her guts. She had no idea how Sui Feng saw her anymore, as a colleague? A former mentor still owning her respect? A friend..?

"I'd like that." the Captain smiled genuinely.

"Great!"

"But for now, I'm sorry but I need to excuse myself." her tone of voice was filled with honest regret, wishing they'd have more time to catch up.

"Hot date lined up?" Yoruichi teased and was happy to see a flush on Sui Feng's cheeks.

"Hardly." she scoffed. "I'm going for a refitting of my arm, actually."

"Alright." the former mentor nodded and rose to her feet. "I'll stop by again some day." she said as she made her way towards the door. "It was good seeing you, bye!"

"Good bye, Yoruichi-sama." Sui Feng bowed respectfully and showed her out of the room.

* * *

Few hours later, Yoruichi was still wandering around Seireitei. She didn't feel like returning to the world of the living yet so she just paced around the streets, taking in the sights. It was rather warm, so she had removed her orange jacket and had tied its sleeves around her waist, the garment swaying from side to side with her hips. The streets were surprisingly empty with such a weather but she reasoned that people were still probably at work.

After a few more moments of aimless wandering, she decided to heed her stomach's growling, trying to spot a place were she could grab something to eat. It had been a while since she last ate in Seireitei but she did recall a restaurant which was close by, remembering that they served food there which was to her satisfactory. Grinning slightly, Yoruichi turned round on her heels and started her search. It didn't take long to spot the building, a relatively small, wooden structure which was slightly elevated from the ground in a usual Japanese style. She made her way inside and ordered some ramen, deciding to go with something relatively spice-less as she was hot enough as it was. She sat down around one of the tables and soon after, her food arrived.

"Yoruichi-dono?" a man suddenly appeared before her, confusion written all over his facial features. He was a tall man, handsome and had the same distinctive features of a Shihouin as Yoruichi did, tan skin and golden eyes. "It is you, isn't it?" he asked, his eyes seeming to gleam in recognition.

"Yeah?" the Goddess of Flash nodded, unsure of whom she was speaking to. "Can I help you?"

The man sighed heavily, his demeanor changing significantly from before. "You don't remember me, do you?"

Yoruichi's beautiful face turned to a scowl, her mind trying to process the sight before her. She had noticed his skin color and eyes, so she reasoned him to be somehow related to her, but was unable to name him. If he was from the main branch of her family, she was in trouble, as she was supposed to know all of them by name and rank. The smaller and lower branches of the Shihouin family had never been really associated with her, she had only seen them in large family gatherings and such. The young man before her sighed again and looked down, his long hair fell over his shoulder, revealing a scarred ear. "Wait." Yoruichi stated, a memory creeping up from the depths of her mind. "Akihiko..?"

"That's right!" he stood up straight, a smile on his face. "I really thought you'd forgotten me."

In all honesty, she really had, but decided to leave that small fact unvoiced. "It's just that.. well, you've grown." Yoruichi stated, remembering the small rascal he had been before her exile. "It took a while to recognize you." The young man before her was a second cousin, relatively low in their family's lineage but she remembered his. Time had indeed changed him, back before she left he'd been an adolescent, a quite rebellious one at that.

"Yeah." he nodded. "Sorry, it's just that you haven't changed at all." Akihiko said sheepishly, a small blush rising to his round cheeks. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Here?" Yoruichi looked around. "I'm eating."

"Funny." he made a face and chuckled. "In Seireitei." the man said a bit more seriously. "You going to visit the family? I'm sure they would be glad to see you."

The tan woman shook her head. "Nah, not today I think. I'm in such a good mood so I'd rather not waste it."

"My apologies." Akihiko bowed respectfully. "I am sorry to have disturbed you."

Yoruichi waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it." She gulped down the remains of her food and placed the deep plate on the table. Sighing contently, she rose up. "Well, see ya around!"

"Yoruichi-dono." the man bowed again in her direction.

"Thanks for the food!" Yoruichi yelled over her shoulder, grinning at the man as she made her exit.

A small tug of his sleeve caught Akihiko off guard and he turned around slightly, coming face to face with a small man, an irate expression on his old face. "Huh?"

"The bill." the small man said and handed it to the Shihouin.

"Eh?" Akihiko managed to stutter in his confusion. "Eh?!" he gasped again as he looked at the receipt and turned around to glance at the table where Yoruichi had sat. It was filled with piles of empty bowls, the china threatening to keel over with the slightest of nudges. "Yoruichi-dono.." Akihiko whined sadly, unable to believe that she'd just left him with the bill.

* * *

Evening had begun to show its signs as the sun started its descent, coloring the sky in a mixture of orange and red, the shiny orb merely a small white dot in the horizon. Evening was still warm but the temperature had dropped a few degrees from before, making moisture condense on trees and other plants. The small Captain of the second squad was returning from her trip to the Institute of Research and Development, feeling rather content at the moment. She was surprised at how well she was already adapting to her new arm. Although it was still a prototype, it almost felt like she'd never lost an arm in the first place. Almost. It moved normally and reacted to stimuli as quickly as her real arm but there were still some problems with channeling her spiritual energy, this becoming evident as she attempted performing shunko, despite Unohana's and Kurotsuchi's recommendations. They had said she'd need more time adjusting to the prostate and it would take time for it to fully settle on her blood circulation and such. Unfortunately, Sui Feng lacked such patience. She wanted to start training now more than ever, since she finally had two (relatively) functioning arms again.

She walked the streets of Seireitei calmly, reveling on the feeling of the cool evening breeze on her skin. There were still people outside, quite busily preparing for the upcoming summer festival. The Captain scowled inwardly, she wasn't sure that such a distraction would be good for the people of Soul Society now, especially since it hadn't been that long since the so called winter war. Majority of the Captains had agreed that people needed this sort of distraction, to remind them that life would go on but Sui Feng hadn't been in the majority. Unohana, Ukitake and Kyoraku had supported the idea, Unohana had actually been the one to suggest it and as the elders of the Captains, their opinion carried a lot of weight. Only the Captains of the tenth and twelfth had agreed with Sui Feng, Kurotsuchi seeing the festival as an unnecessary distraction to his research and Hitsugaya seeing it as an opportunity for another attack. Kenpachi had said nothing, neither did Byakuya and Komamura had only voiced his agreeing opinion after the Captain-Commander had decided to allow the festival. _"Ever the faithful lapdog"_ Sui Feng mused as she recalled the meeting. She sighed heavily, contending to the decision as there really was no other choice.

The petite woman reached her barracks but instead of going to her office, she made her way to the large, open area that served as their training grounds. She wanted to calm herself a little, still feeling a little aggravated by the situation and the small argument that had taken place in the Captains meeting. Bringing herself to the center of the yard, she began her graceful dance of martial art blows and kick, jumps and rolls. The courtyard was empty, her underlings having retreated to their living quarters by now and Sui Feng preferred it this way. She unsheathed her zanpakutou and made a quick horizontal slash and followed it with an equally swift aerial kick. As she landed, she felt a presence approaching her. The Captain turned around calmly, looking for the person interrupting her meditative moment. Her eyes landed on emerald green ones, watching her calmly, a small gleam of appreciation and affection flashing in them momentarily. Sui Feng placed her katana back to its sheathe on her back and stood up straight to properly greet the person approaching her.

"Good evening, Sui Feng-sama." the tall woman bowed respectfully.

"Good evening, Midori." the Captain nodded calmly. "What brings you out here?" she asked in a friendly tone, indicating this was not an order but a genuine inquiry.

Midori Nanami, the leader of group three, stood before the much shorter Captain. She was towering the Captain, Sui Feng's head barely reaching her shoulder but she couldn't help but to feel slightly intimidated by her Captain's presence. The ever present scowl had dissipated from her face but Sui Feng's body language was still rigid so Midori brought her arm across her chest to hold her bicep, unconsciously comforting herself with the action. "I uh.. " she started a bit hesitantly and looked at the small woman before her. "You seemed kind of.. tense. So I.."

"If there's something on your mind, I suggest you come out and say it." Sui Feng said sternly, not appreciating the sight of a back-boneless subordinate. "Otherwise, you're wasting my time." she continued harshly, noticing the visible flinch on Midori's behavior. She was closer to Midori than to any other of her men and appreciated her concern but right now, she wasn't in the mood for trivial conversations.

The tall woman sighed audibly, her long, shiny crimson hair falling before her face to cover her saddened eyes as she looked at the ground beneath her feet. Midori knew Sui Feng was a hard woman to socialize with but that hadn't stopped her before and she knew the Captain wasn't angry at her, she was merely taking it out on the closest person available. Mustering up her courage, Midori reached out her hand and gently placed it on the shoulder of her fleeting Captain.

Sui Feng turned around as she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. Midori looked away in shame yet didn't remove her hand, instead she squeezed it slightly, massaging the tight muscle in her palm. "Midori?" the small Captain asked in an unsure tone.

"I was wondering.." the redhead whispered and looked up to the steely gray eyes of her commanding officer. "If you needed a hand.. in order to relax?" she finished, a huge blush rising to her cheeks.

An equal blush found its way to Sui Feng's cheeks as well and she looked away shyly. It was unusual for her to feel this way, a bit timid and awkward but the feeling in the pit of her stomach and the slight tingle all over her body was not unpleasant nor unwelcome. It wasn't the first time Midori had offered this sort of relaxation, though usually Sui Feng had been the one to approach the redhead after their first time. "Perhaps." the Captain answered finally, looking back to those emerald green pools.

A smile found its way to Midori's mouth and she removed her hand from the Captain's shoulder. "Lead the way."

* * *

**A/N: I know, Sui Feng sleeping with someone other than Yoruichi, shocking! This is an outrage, blasphemy! Burn witch! Heh, but it was still funny though.**

**Why am I flooding this story with OC's? Dunno, but I kinda wanted you readers to know that there are other people in their lives as well, not just the ones we see in the show. So yeah, live with it! **

**Why oh why can't we just see Yorusoi happily together?! Don't worry, it's coming.. or is it? Kyah hah haa! **

**And where did Yoruichi suddenly produce her clothing for the second part..? Magic! **

**Thanks for reading and leave the flames of your burning rage with the review button! Until next time kids, behave yourselves!**


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